a million triple somersaults
by larry's podex
Summary: "and as he stares down at the buildings of Camp Jupiter that are steadily growing smaller, Perseus Jackson makes a promise to himself to go back there one day." - a Percy/Reyna one shot


**note:** I have been planning this story for over a week. It's dedicated to my sister whose birthday is today (same as Percy Jackson, trust me, we already know). PercyxReyna is her favourite PJO ship and although I myself am a hardcore Jeyna girl, I have written this one shot.

It is almost 12am here but technically, it is still August 18th. So I'm not too late posing this.

**dedication:** To my sister, who turns 15 today. Happy birthday to you and Percy Jackson. Here's your gift: a somewhat badly-written Preyna one shot.

**disclaimer:** I own nothing

* * *

It's August eighteenth and as Apollo's chariot makes its way towards the west, Perseus Jackson makes his way towards his father's temple.

The sun is low in the sky, casting a warm red glow across the camp. Percy trudges up Temple Hill, past the grand doorless building that was the temple of Jupiter. He sees the giant statue of the god of the skies inside and a frown appears on his face as he eyes the master bolt.

Percy shakes his head and continues walking with his eyes on the ground, watching his feet move along. He needs to think, to clear his mind.

The familar smell of salt-water fills his nose and he knows he's made it to the temple. He looks up and his heart almost stops.

"Oh my gods," he breathes.

Standing where the dinghy tool-shed temple of Neptune should be is instead a magnificent building.

It's not nearly as big as Jupiter's temple but it's a good size. Carvings of coral are etched into the walls and an imperial gold trident glitters above a door made of marble. Two stone hippocampi stand on either side of the door, like soldiers.

Percy's mouth hangs open in shock. When did this happen? He makes his way towards the entrance and stands right outside the door. He rests a hand on one of the stone hippocampi and stares up at the building. It's beautiful.

Percy pushes the marble door open and, with a deep breath, takes a step inside.

* * *

The inside of the temple is nice and simple. It's free of cobwebs and instead clean and shiny. A large altar sits in the middle of the temple. On top of it is a porcelain bowl, filled with fresh fruits and a single blue cupcake sitting on a plate.

Percy lowers himself down onto the ground and stares at the the building. Who would do this? Who would take the time to renovate the temple of Neptune?

Someone coughs, shaking him from his thoughts. "Hello," says a voice.

Percy turns to see Reyna standing at the entrance of the temple. Her long, dark hair is in its signature braid and one of her eyebrows is arched.

"It's getting late," she says, "why are you still here?"

Percy shrugs and pats the ground next to him. "Just checking out the new furnishings," he jokes as Reyna takes a seat beside him.

For a while, his confusion melts away and he admires the way Reyna's purple cloak pools around her and how the sunlight filters through the open door, casting a warm glow on her face. Percy can't help but think that she'd make a beautiful queen.

Reyna lies down gently onto her back and Percy does the same, his purple praetor cape cushioning his back on the cold floor. The two stare up at the roof of the temple. It's covered in hundreds of tiny mosaic tiles depicting waves and horses and tridents. There's an image of a boy with black hair holding a bronze sword. Percy looks at the girl lying next to him and his mind begins to connect the dots. He smiles.

"You did this?" he asks and he gestures to only the ceiling but he knows that Reyna has figured out that he means the rest of the temple too.

Reyna nods. "Happy birthday," she says softly.

A warm feeling spreads through Percy and the smile on his face widens. The corners of Reyna's mouth pull up as well and Percy's stomach does a million triple somersaults. Her smile lights up her face and makes her look younger and Percy realises with joy that he has never seen Reyna smile at anyone else like that before.

He'd be lying if he said that since the war he hadn't been thinking about Reyna more often than not.

He reluctantly pulls his gaze away from his co-praetor and instead looks at his surroundings. He wants to make a joke about how this temple is worthy of a one-hour special on _MTV Cribs_ but he stops himself because he thinks that Reyna wouldn't have a clue what he's talking about and he never liked that show anyway.

Instead he chooses to lace his fingers through Reyna's. Surprisingly, she doesn't pull away. Percy scans his eyes around the temple another time. His grin threatens to split his face.

"It's perfect," he tells her. "Thank you."

Reyna stays silent and squeezes his hand. Percy's insides turn into a butterfly house. He tries to ignore the fluttering feeling in his gut.

There's something about Reyna that makes his heart want to burst out of his chest. He admires her strength and courage. He likes how she's a born leader and will do anything to protect her camp and those she loves. Percy could go on and on.

"How'd you do it?" he asks. "Build all of this, I mean."

"I'm not incompetent, Jackson," Reyna says with a roll of her eyes.

"I didn't mean it that way!" Percy explains hastily. "I meant, how'd you do it in so little time?"

Reyna shrugs. "If two-hundred legionnaires can rebuild an entire camp in four days, then I can build a small temple in that same amount of time," she says. "I've been planning this for a while anyway."

"Four days? You built this in four days?"

"Yes, I did," Reyna replies and Percy's mouth falls open.

"But I swear I walked past the same old tool-shed temple just yesterday!" he cries.

"Remember Lucia from the Second Cohort?" Reyna questions and Percy nods, recalling the girl who took down three Earthborn by chanting a complex spell.

"The daughter of Hecate?" he asks and Reyna doesn't bother to correct his use of the Greek term.

"Yes, that's her," the daughter of Bellona confirms. "She's got a powerful way with the mist. She made it look like this temple was still a run-down shed while I was actually rebuilding it."

"Oh," Percy says and shuts his mouth. Reyna chuckles softly.

For a while they simply lie on the floor, hands still clasped tightly. They bask in eachother's company, a comfortable silence settling over them. After a while, Percy feels Reyna shift beside him and her grip on his hand begins to go slack. He hastily tightens his hold on her. He doesn't want to let go.

"Something wrong?" he questions nervously.

Reyna's dark eyes travel down to their intertwined fingers and Percy feels his face grow hot. He hopes Reyna can't see the blush creeping up his neck.

"No," Reyna says and changes the topic. "So how has your birthday been so far?"

Percy doesn't know what to say. August eighteenth is a complicated day. It is good and it is bad. It marks the end of a war, the birth of a hero and the death of one. It has been 365 days since the Battle of Manhattan. 365 days. 12 months. 1 orbit of the earth around the sun.

Percy's chest tightens and and he realises that Reyna is still waiting for an answer. He's overcome with the urge to tell her everything, to pour out all his feelings and all his thoughts.

"It's been fine," he says instead.

Reyna looks skeptical. "I know what August eighteenth is, Percy," she tells him. "You defeated Kronos this time last year didn't you?"

Percy opens his mouth to say something like "Yeah, it was a pretty hardcore fight" but instead of words a choked sob comes out. He shuts his mouth abruptly and is about to try and pass his sob off for hack by faking a coughing fit when Reyna sits up and pulls him with her.

She gazes at him with dark eyes. "Percy," she says softly, "what's wrong?"

Maybe it's the caring tone in her voice or the look in her eyes but suddenly Percy is telling her everything. It's as if his mouth is a waterfall and his thoughts the water. All of his burdens come rushing out and as Percy cries and tells Reyna about the war and the reason why the fourth bead on his camp necklace is covered in so many names, the daughter of Bellona holds him and listens.

He mumbles about being the child of the prophecy and having everyone look up to him and having every one expecting him to be the hero and he tells her how he hates feeling like he cannot let them down. He tells her about losing his friends and breaking up with Annabeth and the awful feeling of not knowing if you're going to live long enough to see the next day.

Perseus Jackson has witnessed more than any other seventeen-year old should and it might just be slowly killing him inside. It comforts him to know that the girl who is holding him, the girl who is whispering _you'regoingtobeokayyou'regoingtobeokay_ over and over into his hair somewhat understands what he is going through. Her words warm him better than anything else ever could and when she says them, he believes that they're true. He'll be okay.

When Percy has stopped pouring his feelings out and the waterfall that is his mouth has ceased to flow, he pulls away. Reyna's toga is wet with his tears but she doesn't seem to notice, let alone mind.

Percy wonders why (with all the deaths he has seen and all the monsters he has faced) he hasn't gone mad yet. Then Reyna's hand is grasping his tightly and he realises that it is people - people like Reyna and his friends who keep him anchored to the ground.

"You're going to be okay," Reyna whispers again and Percy can feel her calloused fingers wiping away his tears.

He is glad that she is real and she is holding his hand. He is glad that she is simply _there_.

They lie back down and Percy closes his eyes. He listens to Reyna's gentle breathing and perhaps it's only his imagination, but Percy thinks he can hear the sound of waves crashing against the shore too. For a while he forgets about Luke and the war and Annabeth and all his troubles and for a while it's just him and Reyna and nothing else.

"I'm going back to Camp Half-Blood tomorrow," he says once his mind is relaxed. He's sad to have broken the peaceful silence that had enveloped them both.

"I know," Reyna replies and maybe it's wishful thinking but Percy hears sadness in her voice.

"I'm-" Percy fumbles for the right words, "I'm going to miss you."

Reyna turns onto her side and faces him. Her eyes stare into his. "I'm going to miss you too."

Percy observes the way the moonlight makes Reyna's hair shine and, not for the first time that night, his stomach does somersaults.

"Have a good night, Percy." Reyna rises to her feet and brushes off her toga. "I'll see you in the morning."

Percy stands up quickly. "Thank you," he says, looking her straight in the eye. "Thank you," he says again.

Reyna nods and smiles.

"Happy birthday," she whispers and then she is out the door and gone.

Percy sees that the sky is dark outside and the stars shine brightly. They must've been in the temple for a long time.

Percy picks up the blue cupcake on the altar before whispering a quick prayer to his father and making his way out, feeling like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

* * *

Percy shifts in his position between Grover and Clarrise as he watches Reyna tie the purple cape around Jason's shoulders. The son of Jupiter is grinning widely, the scar on his lip curving upwards too.

Reyna takes a step away from Jason and raises his hand in the air. "_Ave_ Jason Grace," she says, her voice loud and clear. "Son of Jupiter and praetor of the Twelfth Legion!"

The crowd of Romans let out a loud cheer, yelling and screaming happily. Jason looks like he's about to collapse from excitement. He says something in Latin and the noise dies down.

"Thank you all," Jason begins. "I'm glad to be back in Camp Jupiter and in my position as praetor. The war against Terra has been won and we have emerged victorious. Of course, this achievement would not have been possible without the hard work of you Romans and the hard work of the Greeks."

He turns to look at the line of demi-gods from Camp-Halfblood standing in front of the _Argo II._

"Oh stop it, you," Leo jokes. "You're making me blush."

Reyna steps forward and rolls her eyes at the son of Hephaestus. She turns towards the legionnaires. "Before, Romans and Greeks were rivals but now we are friends. We have started a new era of peace and have gained many able and helpful allies. Though now, it is time for our Greek friends to leave. I speak on behalf of all of Camp Jupiter when I say that we are grateful for all that you Greeks have done."

The Romans cheer again and it shocks Percy to think that less than two months ago, the legionnaires wanted to kill them and now they were hollering out praise and hooting their names.

Reyna smiles at the Greeks when the cheers cease. "You are welcome back to Camp Jupiter always," she says, her gaze flitting over each of them and lingering on Percy for just a second longer.

"Yeah, come whenever you want," Jason agrees, blue eyes tinkling.

"Thank you," Annabeth says and then suddenly the formalities seem to dissolve. She springs forward, enveloping the two praetors in a tight hug.

Jason and Reyna look shocked (Percy doesn't blame them; he's a little shocked too) but they hug Annabeth back just as firmly.

The rest of the Greeks and Romans move forward, exchanging embraces and smiles and farewells. Percy receives several goodbyes from the campers and a lot of shed tears and "_promise me you'll iris-message every day_"s from Hazel.

He has just finished saying bye to Dakota when someone taps him on the shoulder. He swivels around to see Reyna.

"Hey," he says and his heart starts beating a little quicker.

"Hello."

They stand still for a few seconds, not knowing exactly what to do. Percy stares at the ground; he was never the best at saying goodbye. His ears seem to tune out the noise of the people around him and the only sound he can hear is the uneven _thumpthumpthump_ of his heart.

Then, before he knows it, Reyna's arms are around his neck and she's hugging him. Percy snaps out of his shock, snakes his arms around her waist and pulls her close.

"Thank you," he says. "Thank you for everything."

Reyna nods. Percy shuts his eyes tightly. Maybe, if he concentrates hard enough, he can freeze time and stay like this forever. He doesn't want this moment to end.

"I meant what I said," Reyna whispers, just loud enough for Percy to hear. "Come back to Camp Jupiter whenever you want."

Percy smiles into her shoulder. "I will."

"I'll be waiting," Reyna says and Percy smile grows wider.

He realises that this girl in his arms has lifted his burdens off his shoulders. She has listened and understood him better than anyone else has.

Someone coughs from beside them and Percy sighs.

"Perce, we have to leave," says the voice of Annabeth.

Reyna is the first to pull away.

"Take care of yourself," she tells him.

"I'll be okay," Percy says and Reyna's face lights up and her eyes shine and she's smiling _that_ smile. The smile that makes his heart race a little faster. The smile he knows is reserved for him.

"I know you will," Reyna says firmly and she takes her spot next to Jason in front of the legionnaires.

Percy lets his gaze rest on Reyna before he turns and follows the rest of the Greeks onto the _Argo II._

"Everyone ready?" Leo's voice calls from the control room of the ship once everyone is onboard and the gangway has been raised.

The campers nod in confirmation and Leo presses a button on the panel next to him. Percy feels the ship shudder and rise into the air.

The son of Poseidon looks over the edge of the ship and pushes down the nerves he's feeling. Zeus wouldn't zap him out of the sky. He did save the world two times, after all.

Percy can still make out the dark-haired figure of Reyna next to Jason. The two praetors are waving up at the ship. Percy waves at them in return until they are too tiny to see.

And as he stares down at the buildings of Camp Jupiter that are steadily growing smaller, Perseus Jackson makes a promise to himself to go back there one day. To go back to his second home and his second family. To go back to the place where he knows Reyna, the girl who makes his stomach do a million triple somersaults, will be. And his heart jumps when he remembers that she'll be waiting for him. And he knows that as long as she is waiting for him, he'll be okay.

* * *

**note:** So, there it is. My very first (and therefore the very best and very worst) PercyxReyna one shot. I apologise for any grammar mistakes and awfulness.

I'm not too happy with this. It was rushed and asdfghjkl; Plus it seemed to go all angsty in the mddle and the words didnt flow. Oh well. Hopefully my next stories will be better.

Happy birthday again to my sister and Perseus Jackson.


End file.
